'Blitz courts' coming to drive down the case backlogs slowing the justice system including the Midlands
Some trials at Wolverhampton Crown Court are currently scheduled to take place as far down the line as three years - as the criminal justice system struggles to cope with case backlogs.
New data shows that more than 2,600 trials at crown courts in England and Wales are not due to be heard until at least 2028 – including 29 trials listed to begin as far ahead as 2030.
The backlog includes 206 rape trials that are not listed to start for another two years while four will not get under way until 2029.
Among the cases listed to take place at Wolverhampton in 2029 is the fraud case of Gary Moulder, aged 63, of Osborne Drive, Darlaston, who was given the date when he appeared before a judge this week to plead not guilty to the allegation.
Last September at Shrewsbury Crown Court Judge Anthony Lowe’s apologised to TV presenter Jay Blades, who had a workshop in Wolverhampton and who is due to stand trial over rape allegations which he has denied, over a two-year wait for the trial. It will not be heard before September next year.
Today the Victims’ Commissioner Claire Waxman said the figures were not “not shocking or surprising” and she described the long waits for victims as “inhumane”, adding there is evidence of court delays causing marriages to break down, people to lose their jobs, and stress.
Ministers introduced legislation to Parliament on Wednesday to overhaul the courts system, in a bid to tackle a record backlog of nearly 80,000 crown court cases. Unlimited court sitting days will also be funded and so-called “Blitz courts” set up to speed up the justice system.
The figures obtained by the Pres Association from a Freedom of Information request made to the Ministry of Justice and are a snapshot of the court listings as of January 29, 2026.
They show 25,551 trials for this year, with 7,633 set for 2027, 2,039 for 2028, 625 for 2029 and 29 for 2030. The 29 trials listed for 2030 include 12 for drug offences, four for offences of violence against the person, three for theft and three for possession of weapons.
The 625 trials listed for 2029 include 14 for sexual offences, four of which are for rape, along with 133 for violence against the person and 190 drug offences.
A trial is listed once a defendant’s plea hearing has taken place.
Ms Waxman said: “What concerns me is those that are listed as far away as 2028 and 29 – I am not confident that they will start on those actual dates. Behind every statistic and number is a victim who’s experienced crime and will be suffering from trauma and maybe physical injuries and will have to have their life on hold for a number of years before they can get into court and access any type of justice and closure and start their recovery.
“Victims don’t start their recovery until the justice system is complete.”
She also warned against parliamentarians blocking the bill. “Then I would say they are preventing us getting on top of these wait lists, and they are potentially failing victims.”
“While it absolutely has to be scrutinised, as any bill does, I just hope that those scrutinising are doing it for the right reasons."
“And if they’re saying ‘justice needs juries and that’s it’, I think they need to open their mind a little bit more and accept that we have to modernise the criminal justice system.
“It has to keep pace with the amount of cases, the new offences that we’ve had over the years coming in, and it has to serve the public.
“And yes, that is about balancing the rights of defendants, but it’s also about balancing the rights of victims as well.”
She said that while unlimited sitting days will help, they are not a “silver bullet” as there are still “too many cases” that do not go ahead on the day because of a number of issues, such as technical problems or the prisoner or witnesses not turning up.
The four rape cases listed to come to trial in 2029 are likely to have already been in the system for at least a year or possibly two, meaning it might be at least five years before they get to court, Ms Waxman added.
Research by the Commissioner’s office published last year found almost half of victims surveyed of 48 per cent had their trial date adjourned at least once and often multiple times.
Chairwoman of the Bar Council Kirsty Brimelow KC said the figures showed that “trial dates for sexual offences cases and rape cases are too far in the future but not as far back as the impression sometimes given.”
“Substantial delays are at the pre-court stage,” she said.
“To be serious about tackling delays means that there must be a focus on the delays incurred before the case gets to court.”
Figures published by the Ministry of Justice last year show the number of open cases in the crown court backlog stood at 79,619 at the end of September 2025, up two [per cent from 78,096 at the end of June and up nine per cent from the same point a year earlier.
The number of cases open for a year or more has now passed 20,000 for the first time, reaching 20,155 at the end of September, up 25 per cent year on year and up six per cent from the end of June.
The open caseload refers to the number of outstanding cases, which includes trials but also cases in their differing stages.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “This Government inherited a justice system in crisis. Only through these crucial reforms, the extra investment we will deliver, and our drive to increase efficiency in the system can we make sure brave victims and survivors of crime get the swifter justice they deserve. Combined, these measures will free up the space and time needed to prioritise the most serious cases – including those that can and should have a jury trial.”
